The great Gatsby - Chapter 10 (p. 2/3)

We shook hands and I began to walk away. Then I stopped and shouted back across the lawn, ‘They’re no good, Gatsby! You’re better than all of them!’

It was the only compliment I ever paid Gatsby. But I’ve always been glad I said it. Gatsby gave me a big smile and raised his hand. His pink suit was bright against the white steps.

‘Goodbye!’ I called. ‘Thank you, Gatsby.’

***Wilson had cried for Myrtle all night. Then he began to talk to his neighbours. Two months ago, Myrtle had come back from New York with a bruised face. Later, Wilson had found an expensive dog collar in Myrtle’s desk.

‘He bought it for her,’ Wilson said. ‘He bought it for her and then he killed her! He murdered her, the man in the yellow car! She ran out to speak to him and he wouldn’t stop!’

Somehow, Wilson found out who owned the yellow car. At half past two on the day after Myrtle had been killed, Wilson went to West Egg. He asked the way to Gatsby’s house. At two o’clock, Gatsby had gone down to his swimming pool with an airbed. He told his servants to call him if anyone phoned.

No one phoned. His dream was over. I couldn’t do much work that day. I got back to West Egg by about half past four. Gatsby wasn’t in the house. One of the servants told me he had not come back from the swimming pool.

We hurried down to the pool. The airbed was moving slowly round and round. There was a little blood in the water and Gatsby lay on the airbed – dead.

As we carried Gatsby’s body up to the house, we saw Wilson lying on the grass. Wilson had shot Gatsby and had then shot himself.

***At the inquest, Myrtle’s sister swore that Myrtle had never known Gatsby. She said, too, that Wilson and his wife had been completely happy. So Wilson was called ‘a man made mad with grief’ and the case was closed.

***About half an hour after we had found Gatsby, I phoned Daisy.

‘Mr and Mrs Buchanan went away this afternoon,’ a servant told me. ‘They will be away for some time.’